Giannis Antetokounmpo has recently put the NBA on notice. He claimed that he wouldn’t sign a contract extension with the Milwaukee Bucks unless he believed they could and wanted to win another ring.
Now, the Bucks pretty much have a season to convince arguably their best player in franchise history — granted that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar left early — to stay in town.
And according to a GM who talked to NBA insider Ric Bucher, it all had to do with their first-round shortcomings vs. the Miami Heat, as Giannis was left wondering what kind of team they actually were.
Bucks’ First-Round Exit Made Giannis Doubt His Future
“That happening to him in the first round is the reason for the stance he’s taking, which is, ‘I’m not saying I’m not coming back, but I need to see which team we are. Are we a first-round exit team? Or are we really a Finals team that just happened to lose in the first round for different reasons last year?,'” the GM said.
The Bucks could’ve won that series, or at least been more competitive, had Giannis not left with an injury in the first game. Still, they failed to rally without him, and that could be a concern.
New coach Adrian Griffin will be under a lot of pressure to deliver right away. Giannis Is one of the best players in the league, and he should have no shortage of suitors if he decides to leave.
